| Producer | Intini |
| Crop Year | 2019/2020 |
| Cultivar | Coratina, Peranzana, Picholine |
| Region | Apulia (Alberobello) |
| Harvesting Method | Hand-picked |
| Extraction Method | Continuous – cold extracted |
| Tasted on | Oct 2020 |
Affiorato EVOO – Food pairing advice
Vegetables Meat Cheeses Soup
The name “affiorato” (“surfaced”, literally) comes from the old rural tradition of collecting manually the olive oil which naturally floats on the freshly milled olive paste; today this method is substituted by the milling under vacuum pressing of olives.
Affiorato EVOO is one of the many products by Intini – a historic Apulian company – benefiting from the meticulous attention put at every stage of the production by its manufacturer. Among the peculiarities of Intini’s production are the use of 4 different pressing system mills and various malaxation methods, chosen according to the characteristics of the olives during the year (as the production of EVO oils is strongly linked to the soil and climatic conditions of a given year) cultivar, and degree of olive’s ripeness.
The care put in the production of Affiorato EVOO clearly shows during the tasting – despite the fact that the bottle we tasted was from 2019 harvest season, the olive oil was still fresh, with bitter and pungency notes which still hit intensely on the palate, as if the EVO oil had just been produced. The ability of this extra virgin olive oil to keep its characteristics and high-quality over time is awesome news not only for Intini but for the whole olive oil sector – a thorough high-quality production allows us not only to appreciate excellent products, but to be able to enjoy them for a long time, too.
Fresh green vegetable hints of flavour intertwine with citrus tones, and floral and spicy notes, the perfect background for EVOO-food combinations based on vegetable and meat; find out which ones by reading our review.
Appearance & Visual Analysis
Affiorato EVOO is of a bright lemon yellow colour with light green hues.
Scents & Olfactory analysis
Tomato leaf Thistle Grass Chard Green Almond Pine Nuts Basil Mint Vanilla Granny Smith Apple Tangerine Jasmine
The complexity of Affiorato EVOO flavour is given by an elegant mix of green vegetable scents, and fruity, aromatic floral aromas. We start with rich scents of tomato leaf, thistle, fresh grass and chard, and we continue with hints of dried fruit such as bitter almond and delicate pine nut. Aromatic herbs are perceived through the aromas of basil and a pleasant scent of mint, all followed by light vanilla spice. Affiorato EVO oil is also elegantly enriched by fruity notes and citrus aromas of apple and mandarin, to conclude with a floral bouquet of white and yellow flowers (i.e. broom and jasmine).
Tasting: Aromas & Flavours
Pungency
Bitterness
Artichoke Rocket Chicory Walnut Husk Green Almond White Pepper Black Pepper Basil Rosemary Laurel Granny Smith Apple Pink grapefruit
At the taste, the delicate floral scents and spiciness already perceived during the olfactory analysis give way to the polyphenolic component of this extraordinary olive oil – the tasting introduces us to the rich “green” notes of Affiorato EVOO, a flavour further enriched by aromatic tones of flavour and spicy aromas.
Artichoke, rocket, chicory, walnut husk and bitter almond are intertwined with notes of black and white pepper; the presence of Mediterranean herbs (basil, rosemary and bay leaf) enhance the gustatory panorama. Fruit aromas are also perceivable on the palate, with tasty hints of apple and pink grapefruit. Shortly following an intense bitter note, the pungent sensation is particularly strong in the aftertaste, and slowly builds up in the throat to remind us of the high-quality of this EVO oil.
We love it with…
Learn how to pair EVOO and food on our easy guide: Olive Oil Pairings.
Affiorato EVOO by Intini is well suited to be used on different kinds of dishes – thanks to its delicate and fresh aromas, it can be easily paired with different types of first courses, appetizers or bruschetta, and medium-hard cheese; besides, Affiorato EVOO’s strong character – with its distinctly elegant pungent and bitter notes – makes it perfect for soups, vegetables and (white) meat, too.
A crudo Affiorato EVOO pairs well with vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, turnips and pumpkins; it also gives texture and complexity to all boiled, stir-fried or stewed meat-based main courses. Moreover, Affiorato EVOO also pairs with appetizers such as cold cuts and horseradish sauce, and first courses like Cassouela (typical Lombard dish made of cabbage and pork) ratatouille and legume soup.
We paired Affiorato EVO oil to pizza made with semi-whole wheat (read our homemade pizza recipe) and topped with pumpkin, smoked scamorza cheese, and artisanal black pork salami flavored with fennel: an ideal combination for the autumn season! When added a crudo, Affiorato EVOO releases all its perfumes and flavours on the freshly baked pizza; as a result, thanks to the EVOO’s scents, the final flavour is doubled in intensity. The bitter note creates a common thread during the tasting, and the pungency sensation cleans up the palate from the greasiness of the smoked cheese and the salami. After the first bite, the second and third ones are guaranteed as well!
Olio Intini
20 acres of olive trees between Alberobello and Valle d’Itria, one of the most prosperous and fascinating areas of Puglia. This is where Olio Intini is produced. Here the perfect temperature range and rich soil allow the production of an extraordinary oil with a remarkable level of phenolic compounds. This is a land where the Intini family created a fantastic variety of cultivar, 8 in total, each with its own signature. One in particular, Cima di Mola, has awarded the family business the prestigious Slow Food Presidia for the preservation of the cultural heritage and the legacy with these beautiful lands.
OLIO INTINI SRL
C.da Popoleto,
N.C. Alberobello (BA)
Puglia – Italy
+39 080 4325983
Intini Website
Terroir & Region
Apulia
Puglia, or Apulia, is one of the Southern regions of Italy. The climate is Mediterranean: hot and sunny summers, with mild rainy winters. This area is the heart of Italian olive oil production, and when you try EVO oil from Apulia it’s almost as if you could taste the product of the region’s wellness, the intensity of its sun, the strength of its wind, the sweet saltiness of the Adriatic sea – this is the richness of that territory.
Read more about regions.
Cultivar / Olive variety
Coratina, Peranzana, Picholine
Coratina is an olive cultivar typical of Apulia (Puglia). Coratina is one of the olive cultivars with the highest concentration of polyphenols, organic molecules with natural antioxidant characteristics, which confers the oil its accentuated bitter and pungent notes.
Peranzana is a typical Apulian cultivar mainly grown in the Foggia province, in the areas of Torremaggiore, San Severo, San Paolo Civitate and Serracapriola in particular (i.e. Danuia and the upper Tavoliere delle Puglie). Its olives are used both as table olives and for the production of extra virgin olive oil of excellent quality, also thanks to its quite important content of polyphenols.
Picholine is one of the most representative cultivars of the French territory, especially of Provence. Today it is widespread in other countries as well, Italy included, and has its maximum diffusion in Puglia. One of the characteristics of Picholine olives is the easy detachment of their pulp from the stone, which makes them suitable (and famous) as cocktail olives, too.
Read more about cultivars.